The City of Jackson has been reporting housing shortages as a major impediment to securing labor for their primary employer, AGCO, a multinational corporation with North American headquarters in Jackson.
Over the past decade, the county has added nearly 2,000 residents and in 2013 AGCO announced a $42 million expansion. Several employees commute from South Dakota, Iowa, Mankato, Albert Lea, and Worthington, a neighboring city that has also been experiencing a housing shortage for many years. As a result, Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership has proposed to develop a 48-unit rental townhouse development in Jackson.
Notably, the developer will use a modular townhome design, a method they successfully used for another development that reduced foundation and construction costs. The state will contribute significant funding sources as the project is a perfect candidate to meet statewide workforce housing needs.
As a result, GMHF will not provide any 0% deferred gap funding, but it has provided technical assistance and may provide additional loan products if needed.
